I met Esther and Marcos at the Compassion office in Lima, Peru. They help process letters between sponsors and sponsored children. They were both sponsored children themselves.

I met Angie in Ica, Peru. She has just recently been sponsored.

The three of them taught me about the power of a letter.

The Power of a Letter

Esther grew up poor in the country of Peru
She wanted to dream but didn’t know how to
Her stomach often empty, holes in her shoes
Poverty doesn’t ask, it’s not something you choose

Marcos had a mother, she did the best she could do
Life was hard, his belly hungry, in the sands of Peru
He longed for a father, he longed for a dad
He grew into adolescence, he grew into sad

Angie’s sister was sick, her four siblings prayed
Their faces full of tears, while at church they played
Momma held her tight, through the Peruvian night
But her sister grew weak, and gave up the fight

Esther found hope, she found God’s love redeems
She found a church that cared, they told her to dream
They gave her food that filled, and shoes that were whole
She discovered new skills, new purpose, a new soul

Marcos learned to read, to write and to finally understand
That he had another Father, who loved him and had a plan
The church taught him, fed him, quickly growing tall
But he still struggled and wondered the meaning of it all

Angie hugs her momma, she squeezes out the grief
She tells her sis is in heaven, it’s the core of her belief
Her dry mouth is thirsty, water comes once a week
She’s thankful for the church, it delivers her relief

Esther has a new friend, a sponsor from another land
They say they really love her, yet letters they never send
Everyone else seems to get one, a new one every day
She sits, watches and wonders, will one ever come my way

Marcos brain is spinning, he’s wondering if life’s worth living
He doesn’t know where to go, is another day worth giving
But his new friends who sponsor, who write him quite often
Remind him of some wisdom, and his heart begins to soften

Angie’s roof is leaking, it’s made of straw and hay
But her smile is a sign that she’ll make it one more day
Her house is very fragile, but she is standing strong
Around the world a sponsor is telling her she’s not wrong

Esther grew into a woman, with great faith and passion
She grew as a leader, it’s what was taught by Compassion
She struggled not knowing her sponsor’s opinions
Made a vow it wouldn’t happen to other children

Marcos read the letters, memorizing his sponsor’s scriptures
It brought healing to his mind, and to life a clearer picture
He now makes sure that others can receive the same gift
By processing words that give children a positive lift

Angie is still young, she will have a sponsor for years
But she is still yet to get that first letter, so she fears
Will she be like Esther, waiting day after day after day
Or will it be like Marcos, receiving words that will light her way

The good news is Jesus lives in Esther, Marcos and Angie’s heart
Their sponsors gave willingly and it played a huge part
But don’t underestimate the power that a simple letter can make
God’s wisdom does not return void, it’s a gift you can’t forsake

So if you sponsor a beautiful child made by God’s own hands
Write a letter today and tell them about God’s amazing plans
Write them a scripture, one they will surely memorize
Maybe it’s Jeremiah 29:11, God’s promise they will thrive

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ken Burkey is the Senior Pastor at Green Valley Community Church in Northern California. His family sponsors 6 children, 3 from Burkina Faso, 1 from Haiti, 1 from Mexico and 1 from Peru.
The families of Green Valley Community Church sponsor over 1000 children.

Thank you, Mr. Burkey, for sharing these encouraging words. And as an Advocate I want to say thank-you, because while you were not aware, that sit down video you did several years ago with Jim really encouraged me to go forth with persistence and courage in Christ, fully understanding God only calls us to do our part and be faithful (He’ll do the rest). I consider it such a special honor and a wonderful blessing today to call Esther a dear friend, this after she and her team down at Peru Compassion so graciously blessed our sponsor tour group in 2005. When I think of Esther I always smile and remember so happily the moment she shared with me how God had allowed her to become a sponsor herself. A proud sponsor indeed!!!! Beautiful

I am happy to know our letters are wanted by the children, But I would like them to know how excited I get when one arrives. My daughter has a lot of sponsored children and she always gets excited to receive one. when we go on vacation and I go back to her house, one of the first things she wants is her mail to see if she has any letters.!

I agree with Francis. We have not been sponsors for long. We long to hear from our dear Melanny. I would really love to get a hand written letter from her even if it is in spanish. We sent her one recently online. As I was on the webiste of compassion, I was looking on the website and they had a video of a interview with a little boy. There is something that is really special when you can see them in real life situations. Pictures if her in real life included with her letter would be so wonderful. I am enjoying being a sponsor. Wish I could do more. For now this is what I can do.